Brush



July7, 1942. ac. SHARE- BRUSH Filed March 6, 1941 INVENTOR 5 enjamz'n C. Share Azto e Patented July 7, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a brush having means for holding soap in proximity to the bristles so that scrubbing and soaping of the surface to be washed can be accomplished in a single operation.

More especially, the invention relates to a combined brush and soap holder in which the position of the soap with respect to the bristles may be adjusted to accommodate various sizes of 'soap cakes and to compensate for wear.

Combined brush and soap holders which have been designed in the past have had various disadvantages which have prevented their widespread adoption and use. For example, brushes have been proposed which lacked means for advancing the soap and these were impractical because, after a short period of use, the soap would not contact the surface to be washed. Attempts have been made to overcome this difiiculty but the mechanisms employed for advancing the soap have been cumbersome, complicated and unreliable.

An object of the present invention is to provide a combined brush and soap holder having an improved means for holding the soap in combination with an improved mechanism for adjustably positioning said means relative to the brush bristles.

More particularly, the object is to provide an inexpensive and compact mechanism for advancing or withdrawing a soap holding means so as to accommodate various sizes of soap cakes and to compensate for the wearing down of the soap.

A further object is to provide an adjustable soap holding device which is adapted to be attached to a brush and which can be sold separately and later assembled.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in combination with the above mentioned adjustable mechanism, a soap holding means which will firmly hold the soap in use and to which various sizes and shapes of soap cakes may be quickly and easily attached.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a combined brush and soap holder wherein the means for advancing or withdrawing the soap is operated by rotating a readily accessible knob or the like.

Again, it is an object of the invention to provicle means for adjusting the position of the soap which is compact and which does not extend outwardly from the back of the brush far enough to interfere with the comfortable holding of the brush.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 shows a bottom plan View of the combined brush and soap holding means;

Figure 2 is an elevational view partially in section of the brush and soap holder, showing the cake of soap; and

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view of the soap holder and the mechanism for adjusting the same, taken on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral l designates the brush body or back which is provided with bristles 2 extending outwardly from the surface 3.

The soap holding means includes a suction cup 4 which is preferably made of rubber and which has a concave upper surface {5 against which a cake of soap 6 may be pressed. As will be understood, the expulsion of air from between the soap and the suction cup will result in a secure attachment of the soap to the cup. The attachment will be even more tenacious if the soap or the suction cup has been Wet with Water as would normally be the case in the use of the brush.

The mechanism for securing the soap holding means to the back of the brush and for adjustably positioning the soap with respect to the bristles is shown in Fig. 3 and embodies a special form of jackscrew. Since this mechanism preferably extends through the back of the brush, the latter is apertured and a bushing I having a flange 8 is preferably inserted in the aperture. The bushing and flange may be'fixed in the aperture by screws (not shown) passing through the flange 8 or the bushing may be secured in place by friction, or in any other suitable manner. The mechanism is usually manufactured and sold in combination with the brush but may be sold separately for subsequent attachment to a brush.

In the embodiment illustrated, the mechanism for adjustably positioning the soap holder includes 'a rotatable collar 9 which is internally threaded at Ii], the threads l0 extending over a relatively short distance within one end of the collar. The collar 9 is also provided with a flange II which fits into an annular groove formed in bushing l or the flange 8 or between the flange and the bushing, as shown, the purpose of the flange ll being to prevent axialmovement of the collar 9.

A sleeve I2 is screwed into the collar 9, the sleeve being provided with external threads [3 which engage the internal threads ll] of the collar. Axial movement of the sleeve l2 in one direction is limited by an enlarged head I4 and in the other direction by an internal abutment. In this embodiment the abutment is an annular ring I 5 located inside of the collar 9 at the end opposite the internal threads l and secured therein after the parts have been assembled.

The sleeve I2 is also provided with internal threads [6 which extend a relatively short distance inwardly from the outer end of the sleeve. A threaded member I! having external threads I8 is screwed into the inside of the sleeve'l2, its axial movement being limited in one direction by an enlarged head 19 and in the other direction by the aforementioned ring Hi.

The threaded member I! has the soap holding means secured to its outer end and in the embodiment illustrated the suction cup 4 is provided with a bolt 20 having its head permanently secured in the base of the suction cup and adapted to be screwed into an internally threaded socket 2| in the threaded member H. In order that the suction cup may be semi-permanently secured to the threaded member 11, a groove 22 in the head 19 enables the use of a screw driver inserted through the opening in the ring [5 for tightening the suction cup on the threaded memher.

The threads ll), l3, l6 and [8 all extend in the same direction and, in other words, they are of necessity all left-handed or all right-handed threads. I prefer to use left-handed threads so that rotation of the collar 9 relative to the suction cups 4 in a clockwise direction will extend the suction cup by moving the sleeve I2 upwardly relative to the collar 9 and by moving the threaded member I! upwardly relative to the sleeve l2, as viewed in Figure 3. The use of lefthand threads, whereby clockwise rotation results in outward movement, is preferred but it is obvious that right-hand threads could be used.

Preferably the bolt 29 and socket 21 are provided with right-hand threads so that clockwise movement of the collar 9 will not tend to unscrew the suction cup from the member [1.

As illustrated in the drawings, the external diameters of the enlarged heads 14 and I9 are preferably approximately the same as the internal diameters of the surrounding collar 9 and sleeve l2, respectively, and the resulting sliding fit adds strength and rigidity to the mechanism. The close fit between the enlarged heads and the cooperating collar 9 and sleeve I2 is particularly desirable in View of the short extent of the internal screw threads l0 and it which enables maximum travel of the parts.

Preferably, but not necessarily, the body of the brush is provided with a pocket 23 which may desirably be substantially rectangular in shape. The bristles are arranged about the edge of the pocket and ordinarily the contact of the bristles or the Walls of the pocket against the sides of the soap cake will prevent the latter from turning when the collar 9 is rotated to move the soap in or out. However, if a very small piece of soap is attached to the suction cup, the user may prevent the soap from rotating with one hand while turning the collar 9 with the other hand or the soap cake may be rotated while the collar 9 is restrained.

The body of the brush may be shaped to fit the hand and it may be provided with a bore 24 for the reception of a handle.

The collar 9 is shown as extending a short distance outwardly from the back of the brush and this outward extension terminates in a knob 25 which may be knurled as shown in Figure 2, to facilitate turning.

In use, the brush is normally held with the palm of the hand over the outward extension or knob 25 and this extension is therefore made as short as possible to prevent discomfort and only extends out far enough to enable it to be grasped between the fingers for rotation. It will be seen that the compact arrangement of the adjusting mechanism and the telescoping of the component parts thereof enables the use of a small adjusting knob.

After the soap has been attached to the soap holding means, it may be adjusted so that its outer surface lies in the working plane of the brush or approximately in the plane of the ends of the bristles. As the soap is worn off the outer face and dissolved, the knob 25 is rotated from time to time so as to compensate for the wear and maintain the soap in the working plane of the brush.

The use of soap holding means other than a suction cup in combination with the preferred adjusting mechanism is within the broad purview of the invention. However, I prefer to use a suction cup and find it to be especially superior to other soap attaching means when used in combination with means for adjusting it relative to the bristles. Among the advantages of the suction cup is the fact that it will securely grip soap cakes of widely differing shapes and sizes and it is especially suited for holding small and worn pieces. In the use of such a wide variety of sizes of soap cakes it is almost essential to employ a mechanism which can be quickly and readily adjusted to hold the soap cake so that its outer surface will lie in the working plane of the brush.

Other advantages of the suction cup include the fact that the upper surfaces of the soap which may contact the object to be washed are not obstructed, covered or confined in any way by the soap holding means. The lower surface which is remote from the working plane of the brush is protected to some extent against dissolution by the suction cup. Furthermore, the soap may be attached by a single movement and detached by another movement, although it is held securely while in use. Moreover, the resilient suction cup, unlike a metallic holding means, will not injure the skin if it is brought into contact therewith, and it shields the metallic parts of the adjusting mechanism so as to protect the user.

It is to be understood that various changes in the construction may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. For example, I contemplate the manufacture of the threaded member H in two parts rather than as a single integral memher, In such modification the enlarged head 19 would constitute the head of a separate screwthreaded piece which would be screwed into a threaded socket in the threaded member l1. Moreover the ring it may be provided with ears which would fit into notches formed in the sleeve 9, the upper edge of the sleeve being bent over the ring to hold it in place. The ears would then constitute a handle for turning the sleeve 9.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1. A brush comprising a back having a noncircular recess in one surface thereof and bristles extending outwardly from such surface, an internally threaded collar mounted in the brush back, a sleeve having external and internal threads and adapted to be screwed in and out of said collar, an externally threaded member adapted to be screwed in and out of said sleeve, and a suction cup attached to the end of the member within the recess for attaching a cake of soap to the end of said member in a position located at least partially within said recess.

2. A brush comprising a back having a noncircular recess in one surface thereof and bristles extending outwardly from such surface, an internally threaded collar mounted in the brush back, a sleeve having external and internal threads and adapted to be screwed in and out of said collar, an externally threaded member adapted to be screwed in and out of said sleeve, a suction cup attached to the end of the member within the recess for attaching a cake of soap to the end of said member in a position located at least partially within said recess, said internal threads extending for only a short distance into the collar and sleeve respectively, and said sleeve and threaded member being provided with enlarged beads to limit their axial movement.

3. A brush comprising a back having a noncircular recess in one surface thereof and bristles extending outwardly from such surface, a suction cup within the recess for holding a cake of soap in position at least partially within said recess, said bristles being disposed about the recess, and means for adjustably advancing the cake of soap into the working plane of the brush comprising a jack screw having its innermost axially movable member secured to the suction cup and having its outermost member rotatably mounted in the brush back.

BENJAMIN C. SHARE. 

